The teams were locked 1-1 at half time, courtesy of a goal by Leo Moura just before the break.
FC Goa were not at all impressive in the attacking third as Darryl Duffy and Reinaldo Da Cruz Oliveira failed to make any impact.
Moreover, FC Goa midfield gave away the ball rather too easily with less support to Leo Moura and Jonatan Lucca.
“It was a very bad start for us in the first session. Some players made mistakes and it was easier for Kerala Blaster FC to counter attack,” said Zico at the post match conference.
“In a game like this, if we lose a pass than we also lose confidence. I had to give the players confidence during the break. The team has a lot of character to attack. We did not have too many opportunities but we played well.” Zico continued.
FC Goa custodian Laxmikant Kattimani was much praised for his role although he couldn’t do much to stop Mohamad Rafi’s header in the 23rd minute.
“It was a tough game for us and I must say it was a hard fought victory,” expressed Kattimani.
FC Goa were edgy in defence as they missed out on their Marquee player Lucio for the second successive match due to injury while medio Jofre couldn’t not start.
Moreover, defender Kennan Almeida was also ruled out before the tie due to an injury.
“It was good to have Raju Gaekwad back from injury as we did not have any defender left. It is a very tough tournament and we want our players to recover from injuries,” stated Zico.
FC Goa next face Mumbai City FC in an away fixture on Sunday.
The Nicolas Anelka coached outfit is full of confidence after securing their first victory but FC Goa are confident to cement their place on top of the ladder.
